


what's winning without a little revenge?

by tsunamiroll



Series: solangelo auctober 2020 [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: AUctober, Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Alternate Universe - Power Swap, M/M, Making Out, Not Serious, One Shot, child of nemesis!will, child of nike!nico, semi crack tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26889235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsunamiroll/pseuds/tsunamiroll
Summary: “Well well, glad to see you're back with us.” Nico looks up as someone approaches him, only to find Will. “Looks like you’ll be losing today.”Nico growls and strains against his bindings again. “Not if our strategy works.”Will’s eyes twinkle as he leans forward, and Nico forces himself not to blush as they come nose to nose. “I think you’ll find that my strategy will work better.”
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: solangelo auctober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948210
Comments: 8
Kudos: 94
Collections: Solangelo Auctober 2020





	what's winning without a little revenge?

**Author's Note:**

> auctober day 7: powerswap
> 
> instead of swapping nico and will's powers, i just gave everyone different parents.  
> also please don't take this seriously, i really just wanted to play with the idea of different parents haha.

Nico finds a lot of things about his parentage annoying. Like the fact that he physically can't back down from a challenge. Or that he can't take any sort of criticism. Or that he cries every time he comes in second. Capture the Flag was always a tough time to be around Nico because he just _really_ wants to win.

He can't help it, though. That’s just how children of Nike are. 

Besides, it's not like it doesn't come with advantages. He's the son of a minor god, so he gets alone time, and there is no one else in his cabin to compete with. (Just the thought of having two victory-hungry kids with swords is enough to fill Nico himself with anxiety.) He always pairs up with the Athena cabin for Capture the Flag, and they devise strategies that, paired with Nico’s will to win, generally turn out alright. And then, there is Nico’s innate ability to know what path would lead to victory.

Like now. He is scouting out William Solace, a son of Nemesis. He spent plenty of time ~~admiring~~ analyzing Will’s battle style, so he knew where his weak spots were and what hits would cause the most damage. There was also the added thrill of fighting a son of Nemesis. Will isn't as outwardly revenge bent as his siblings are (most notably Kayla; Nico wouldn’t dare cross her for fear of being stabbed in his sleep), but he still manages to exact revenge in his own way. A few weeks ago a child of Ares had accidentally knocked into Will at the pavilion and caused him to drop his food, and when that someone went to the infirmary later that day with a small cut, he left with a full arm cast. Not because Will did anything to hurt him, of course, but because Will insisted that the injury would be exacerbated if he wasn’t in one. Anyway, now the child of Ares has to sit out of Capture the Flag for a month, and that dealt a huge blow to the whole cabin.

The game is passing pretty uneventfully, so far. It hasn't been long since the start, but Nico is still aching to bash some people’s heads in. Alas, he was consigned to the role of scout. Percy, from the Aphrodite cabin, had suggested it, and Nico was all set to laugh it off when Jason from Athena seconded it. Nico trusted his friends enough, so he went along with the plan. He knows that Jason and Percy both have a lot in common with Nico, especially when it comes to winning-streaks, so this probably fits into some larger plan. At least, he really hopes it does.

So that left him here, (admiring) observing Will. He's perched in a tree, seemingly doing some scouting of his own. He looks to be alone, but Hecate had chosen to side with Nemesis this time, so Nico knows there is a high chance of other people waiting in the trees. His suspicions are confirmed when Will makes a hand gesture, a few leaves rustle, and three people appear next to the son of Nemesis. Nico narrows his eyes as Will whispers something to Thalia, Piper, and Annabeth, the daughters of Hecate, and they glance around before disappearing again.

Nico waits for a moment. His ears strain to pick up anything, and his hand creeps toward the sword at his belt.

He’s still too slow. A whoosh of air is all the warning he gets before he is knocked out.

When he comes to, he is tied to a tree. He’s in a different part of the forest, and the sun seems a little lower in the sky, so he doesn’t think too much time has passed. His wrists are tied together around a tree trunk. He tests the bindings, but they are tied tight.

“Well well, glad to see you're back with us.” Nico looks up as someone approaches him, only to find Will. “Looks like you’ll be losing today.”

Nico growls and strains against his bindings again. “Not if our strategy works.”

Will’s eyes twinkle as he leans forward, and Nico forces himself not to blush as they come nose to nose. “I think you’ll find that _my_ strategy will work better.”

Will leans all the way in this time, and Nico feels his eyelids flutter, and then suddenly they are kissing. Nico makes a small  _ mmph _ and closes his eyes. Will’s hand comes up to caress his jaw, and Nico tilts his head slightly to make the angle better and  _ oh _ Will is a good kisser.

“Hey,” he says in between kisses, “don’t you think” -- Nico’s tongue trips over Will’s -- “this would be” -- Will bites down on his lip -- “better if you untied me?”

Will pulls back, smirking, “Hm, I don’t know. I kind of like you better than this.”

Nico cocks an eyebrow at that. “You know some people would consider this sexual assault.” Will's expression immediately changes to stricken, and he backs away entirely.

“I-I’m sorry, I thought you- I’m sorry-” Will looks like he regrets everything. Nico’s stomach drops.

“It’s fine, Will. I hate to say it, but that was a pretty good strategy. How much of my time have you wasted here, anyway?” Nico laughs, and his chest is tight. He should have known, all’s fair in love and war after all, and this is war. Nemesis and Nike weren’t so different in the end, both wanted to get the last laugh by any means necessary. He wonders who snitched about his crush, and then thinks back to Percy suggesting he be a scout.  _ Gods damn it,  _ that conniving Aphrodite rat was a  _ spy _ .

Will mouths the word  _ wasted _ and Nico strains against his bindings again. He thinks all his struggling is actually making them loosen up. “Has your team won yet, Will?” He bites the name out. Triumph lights up in his chest when he manages to turn the knot over in his hand, and his eyes dart to Will. He hasn’t seemed to notice Nico’s regained motion.

Will starts the same sentence three times, and Nico watches him flounder, fiddling with the knot all the while, “Nico, I didn’t- I mean yes, this was a diversion, but I-” Nico gets one wrist out of the knot and has to stop himself from whooping. Will’s gaze drops to the ground, and the son of Nemesis actually looks  _ shy _ . “I really like you, Nico, and I’m sorry that I forced myself on you, I just thought you…” He trails off, and he flushes a deep red, “I thought that you liked me too.”

Will’s words make him pause, and his triumph in his chest tingles with something else, but he pushes that away. This is  _ war _ . A plan comes together in his mind. Nico gets his other wrist out and rotates them experimentally. Will is looking at him intensely, and he looks adorable with a flush high on his cheeks. Nico’s eyes fall to Will’s lips and he swallows, very deliberately. Well, he can certainly turn Will’s strategy into his own strategy. The memory of Will’s lips on his is fresh in his mind, and he’s sure it’s fresh in Will’s too.

“Hey Will,” He wets his lips, watching Will immediately zero in on the motion. Nico suppresses a smirk. He knew that would work. “C’mere for a second.”

The son of Nemesis hesitates for a moment before coming back into Nico’s space. He stops a foot away, shifting on his feet slightly.

Nico rolls his eyes, maintaining his casual facade. Inside, his heart was beating just a little bit faster. He’d deny it to anyone who asked, of course.

“No, closer” -- Will starts to lean further in, Nico can see the flecks of black in Will’s eyes -- “more” -- Nico can count the freckles on Will’s cheeks -- “a bit more,” His words are barely a whisper now, fanning out against Will’s lips, and Nico smiles. His lips brush Will’s at the motion. “There.”

He springs into action, shaking off the rope around his wrist. He has surprise on his side, so it isn’t that hard to put the other boy into a headlock despite their height difference. Will squawks, but doesn’t struggle as Nico leans down so his mouth is close to Will’s ear.

“Consider this  _ revenge _ ,” Nico lingers on the word, “for your assumption.”

The word makes Will stiffen in Nico’s hold, but he doesn’t loosen his grip even as whoops that he knows are from Percy and Jason erupt from another part of the woods.

“Ah, looks like we’ve won, too. So much for your strategy, hm?” Nico says, and he can’t help the joy that Will’s murderous glare gives him. Something else flashes in his eyes, and they turn a shade darker than before. Nico holds back a shiver. He knows he’s playing with fire, but that makes it all the more fun. Nico can’t wait to be burned.

The moment is broken as the Hecate daughters materialize in the clearing, and Percy and Jason enter too. Everyone pauses when they see Nico and Will’s position, with Nico pretty much draped over Will’s back. And then everyone starts talking at once.

“I told you to  _ distract him _ not  _ go at it in the middle of the woods-- _ ” “Damn, good job bro!” “Wow,  _ Solace _ , I didn’t know you liked it rough--” Percy and Thalia somehow make it across the clearing to high-five. Annabeth is pinching her nose, and Jason looks torn between embarrassment and indignation.

Nico refuses to let himself blush as he releases Will. The blonde immediately scrambles to get away from him, glaring at him all the while. He doesn’t seem to notice the other people in the clearing, only looking at Nico with razor-sharp focus. Heat pools in Nico’s stomach.

“You  _ will _ regret that, di Angelo.” He says, but his tone is lazy. He flicks a knife out from some hidden pocket and examines it. “Tomorrow night, in this clearing.” He finally acknowledges their entourage with a flick of his eyes, “ _ Alone. _ Don’t be late.”

Percy whistles again, “Don’t worry, we’ll leave you two be.” And then in a stage whisper, to Jason, “I have never sensed this much tension between two people. Three or four, maybe, but not two.” Annabeth looks like she might throw up, and Thalia joins Percy with a wolf-whistle.

Nico ignores  _ that _ comment in favor of smirking. “I’m looking forward to it.”

(Will takes his revenge very… thoroughly. Nico can’t walk for a whole week afterward. Chiron makes a new rule that says no two campers can go into the woods without supervision. All in all, it's a very enjoyable experience, one that repeats itself over in more comfortable places before everyone just acknowledges that the son of Nemesis and the son of Nike are dating.

Nico won’t admit that Will might’ve won something. He definitely won’t admit that that something was his heart. That’s just stupid. Winning is  _ Nico’s _ thing. And from what Will says, he won Will’s heart in record time.)

**Author's Note:**

> well uh... if that made sense, please let me know! and if it didn't make sense then PLEASE let me know. i tried some different dialogue formatting because i still have no idea how english works and idk if i did good bjbsjbjs. i tried for a more spicy ending there, too but idk if it landed. pls lemme know if it did :D basically i am just begging for comments.
> 
> if you want to talk to me, my tumblr is tsunami-roll! thank you for reading, and have a great day <3
> 
> p.s. i've got like three tests tomorrow, wish me luck!! i wrote this instead of studying so my hopes are not that high!!!


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